Well I think I screwed up

[oregonsparkie]

The queen in my OBS hive has been laying very spuratic(really hardly at all) for several weeks. I got a call for a swarm yesterday so I went to get them. I have 1 small hive with just a few bees... so I dumped all the bees through a queen excluder, got the queen and put her into a small container then put the worker bees into this small hive....

I took my OBS hive outside and opened it up, removed the old queen, re-arranged the frames and killed the old queen. I then stuck the new quuen into the OBS hive. I havent seen her but I suspect that they balled her(cant really tell because of all the other bees). I guess I should have introduced her slowly.

Fortunately I called the local bee supply store on saturday and told them to hold me a queen when they come in on wednesday.

I guess its a good learning experience... but I just hate to loose a good queen.

[Michael Bush]

Direct introduction doesn't work very well most of the time. It's almost guarenteed to fail when they haven't been queenless for at LEAST a couple of hour and preferably overnight.

I know what you're thinking though, because an OBS hive is a pain to haul it outside and open it to put in a cage and then haul it outside to remove the cage etc.

[Flewster]

Why not watch them make their own new queen? It would slow down your observation hive a little so that you would not have to manipulate it so much and you would have the wonderful oppertunity to watch the process of them rearing a new queen, spotting the virgin queen, and maybe even watch her take the mating flights........wow I wish I had that oppertunity....



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You have to stop and smell the roses......but please watch out for my bees.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>Why not watch them make their own new queen? It would slow down your observation hive a little so that you would not have to manipulate it so much and you would have the wonderful oppertunity to watch the process of them rearing a new queen, spotting the virgin queen, and

I just did that two weeks ago before I went on vacation. I had two empty frames in a four frame OH, when I came back they had filled them with honey. Now I have to remove them to make room for the new queen to lay.

Before I left for this weekend I watched them open up the second cell and remove the queen. When I got back Sun night the second cell was gone. The cell the first queen came out of is still there.

[oregonsparkie]

At what point can they turn larvae into a queen. I mean what is the oldest the larvae can be?

I do see larvae in some cells but the queen really wasnt laying very much, this is why I tried to replace the queen.

[Michael Bush]

>At what point can they turn larvae into a queen. I mean what is the oldest the larvae can be?

3 days or just hatched.

>I do see larvae in some cells but the queen really wasnt laying very much, this is why I tried to replace the queen.

Yes, but they only need ONE. If she's been gone three days it's running late for them to start a queen cell, but I'm betting they HAVE started a queen cell.

[oregonsparkie]

I killed the original queen yesterday although Im not sure when the last time she layed eggs. They are building queen cells right now.

I do have a replacement queen no reserve for wednesday. I know they could probable raise a new queen but buying one would be faster.

[bjerm2]

If I might interject a little from my own experience. I never kill the queen till the other one is intoduced and laying. What I do is remove the 'old lady' and put her in a spare cage with workers. I keep this for a while till the 'new lady' is laying and doing ok. This usually take a few weeks. The reason being is if something goes wrong then I have a back up queen to put into the hive. I also have made some very small nucs with the old queeen till things get going. This way she is still laying eggs and you can then give those eggs to the other hive to help boost the population. Hope this tid-bit helps you.
Dan

[oregonsparkie]

Thanks for the information. Im new at this so it is a learning experience.

[oregonsparkie]

OK.... I just cancel the pickup of the queen. Im going to let them try and raise one of their own.

They are building the queen cell right now. I think it will be done later this evening.

Do they build it over an existing laid egg or do they move one into the queen cell???

[Michael Bush]

Usually they just fill a regular cell with royal jelly and float the larvae down into the elongated cell. Or tear down the bottom side of the cell wall.

I have heard rumors of them moving an egg for a queen, but have never heard of it being substantiated by any research nor have I ever seen them do it in my observation hive.

I have my doubts that they will.

[Hayseed]

This observation hive concept sounds really great. I'd love to have one right now, but they're awfully expensive and I've already spent twice my "fun" money on hives, bees, etc. I may try to build one this winter when I have time to "tinker". Any good plans available for a 4 med frame OH?

Hayseed

[oregonsparkie]

Hayseed,

I built mine for around $20.00 plus the cost of the plexiglass(about $75.00 but regular glass is cheaper).

If you have a table saw then your all set but a router would be helpful also.

This site has great plans for a 3 frame OB hive.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002074.html